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Why Boycott?

The state of Israel was built on land ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian owners. A majority of Palestinians are refugees, most of whom are stateless.

Since 1948, hundreds of UN resolutions have condemned Israel's colonial and discriminatory policies as illegal, and called for effective remedies.

People of conscience in the world have historically fought the injustice of apartheid through diverse forms of boycott, divestment and sanctions. As in the struggle of South Africans against apartheid, we in the Hudson Valley support the Palestinians in their fight for justice.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Phone:(202) 224-4451UPDATE: Sen. Gillibrand has dropped her support of this bill. You can call to congratulate her.

These calls take about two minutes each. Maybe read below to get yourself ready to defend the First Amendment, and then dial them up.

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As a supporter of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, I strongly urge you to remove your sponsorship of the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S.720) because the bill is an unconstitutional infringement on free speech and a blatant attempt to legitimize illegal Israeli settlements constructed in Occupied Territory in violation of international law.

The bill seeks to amend the Export Administration Act of 1979 to impose criminal penalties and fines on corporations that boycott business dealings with illegal Israeli settlements or divest assets from corporations profiting from illegal Israeli settlements. The bill also seeks to amend the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to deny loans to corporations that similarly boycott or divest from business dealings with illegal Israeli settlements.

The Supreme Court has held that political boycotts, like boycotts for Palestinian rights, are unquestionably protected under the First Amendment. The Israel Anti-Boycott Act, by seeking to penalize corporations which exercise that right, is an unconstitutional infringement on freedom of speech.

Since 1967, stated bipartisan US policy has opposed the creation and expansion of Israeli settlements in Occupied Territory on the basis that these settlements constitute violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The intent and effect of this bill is to encourage business dealings with corporations based in illegal Israeli settlements and to penalize corporations which refuse to do so, thereby legitimizing and entrenching those settlements in opposition to official US policy.

For these reasons, I urge you to remove your sponsorship of the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. I look forward to your response.